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Fusion Science and Technology
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WIPP: Lessons in transportation safety
As part of a future consent-based approach by the federal government to site new deep geologic repositories for nuclear waste, local communities and states that are considering hosting such facilities are sure to have many questions. Currently, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico is the only example of such a repository in operation, and it offers the opportunity for state and local officials to visit and judge for themselves the risks and benefits of hosting a similar facility. But its history can also provide lessons for these officials, particularly the political process leading up to the opening of WIPP, the safety of WIPP operations and transportation of waste from generator facilities to the site, and the economic impacts the project has had on the local area of Carlsbad, as well as the rest of the state of New Mexico.
Xiaogang Cao, Chenlun Liao, Xiancai Meng, Xiaoliang Zou, Xiaojian Wen, Xu Li, Yahong Xie, Bing Hong, Lizhen Liang, Wei Xu
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 81 | Number 6 | August 2025 | Pages 570-579
Regular Research Article | doi.org/10.1080/15361055.2025.2464446
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A deuterium-deuterium neutron generator device based on the 2.45-GHz electron cyclotron resonance technique has been designed. The device achieves a neutron yield of 5 × 108 n/s supplied by the ion source with a beam current of 5 mA. The device is intended for use in radiation modification, isotope production, prompt gamma neutron activation analysis, and boron neutron capture therapy studies. In this work, we study the effects of stainless steel, glass, and aluminum (Al) chamber linings with boron nitride (BN) and glass front plates on both the ion source–induced beam quality and the neutron source yield. The results show that the combination of an Al chamber liner with a BN front plate liner increases current and neutron yield by three to four times compared to other combinations. Stable Al2O3 films generated on the Al surface in air, as confirmed by X-ray diffraction pattern analysis, have a high secondary electron emission coefficient and low wall recombination coefficient, which contributes to the generation of D+ ions in the chamber. As a result, the ion source current and neutron generator yield are improved.